Northern Ireland’s Shea Charles is reportedly set to undergo a medical at Fulham on Monday ahead of making a £30million transfer to the Premier League club on a five-year contract.

Charles had been linked with transfer interest from a host of top flight English clubs this summer, including Manchester United, Leeds United and Crystal Palace, but Fulham have now won the race for his signature.

The deal, which The Athletic’s David Ornstein has reported is worth a minimum of £26million and could reach £30million with add-ons, will make Charles the most expensive Northern Irish player of all-time.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano was first to break the news of Charles’ move on Sunday – he said Fulham have wanted the Southampton star “since June” and that a sell-on clause has been inserted.

placeholder image — Northern Ireland's Shea Charles is set for a move to the Premier League. (Photo by Leila Coker/Getty Images)

Charles has developed into one of Northern Ireland’s most important players, bringing his international cap tally to 35 after starting both of June's friendlies against Guinea and France.

The 22-year-old helped Southampton reach the Championship play-off final last term, scoring a winner in their triumph over Middlesbrough, but the Saints were then thrown out due to ‘Spygate’.

However, Charles is now on his way to the Premier League with Fulham, who appointed ex-Liverpool and Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa as their new manager earlier this summer.

Charles has impressed against some of the world’s best teams on the international stage, receiving praise for performances produced in fixtures with Italy, Germany and France.

After Northern Ireland's defeat to France in Lille earlier this summer, Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill said: "Shea again demonstrated that he’s ready for the game at this level, he’s ready for the top level of the game in my opinion.”

It has been a big summer for O’Neill’s top stars with Ethan Galbraith making an eight-figure move from Swansea City to Stoke City while Pierce Charles returned to Manchester City before joining Queens Park Rangers on loan for the season.

Midfielder Charles made his Northern Ireland debut in June 2022 – a Nations League defeat to Greece at Windsor Park – and has impressed boss O’Neill with his rapid progression.

“Shea is a player who since we put him in the team has taken an enormous amount of responsibility on the pitch for such a young player so putting an armband on him doesn’t change that,” said O’Neill in 2024 after naming Charles captain. “I think Shea has the attributes to play at the highest level of the game.

"He also has the temperament to play at the highest level and that’s what you are looking for as a captain.

“Whether Shea has the armband or not he is always going to be one of your leaders on the pitch. He deserves this opportunity.

“We all know his quality of passing and understanding of the game.

"You can tell he has been at a club where he has been coached at the highest level of the game but where he has really improved is without the ball...in the Championship you have to do that."